With F1’s current regulations now in their fourth year, the performance gaps that gave front-runners comfortable advantages are shrinking fast. Teams that were once struggling to keep pace have had enough time with these cars to catch up on the learning curve. (See: Ferrari and McLaren’s surge last year .)

Whatever benefits Lewis Hamilton will be able to bring to Ferrari, they will pale in comparison to Adrian Newey’s Aston Martin impact. That is the blunt assessment made by Aston Martin’s two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso,

Lewis Hamilton says he is “exactly where I’m supposed to be” after an emotional first day on track in Ferrari’s new car.